The international symposium on the frontiers of tomorrow in biology is planned as a part of the scientific programme at the occasion of the formal dedication of the new complex of the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, India, by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, on Thursday, 26th November 1987. The CCMB is a premier national laboratory in India set up formally in 1977, to carry out frontier-area research in modern biology. It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), the premier multidisciplinary federal research organization in India. If one is not already acquainted with the organization of research in India and the place of the CSIR and of the CCMB in it, a reference to 12th April 1984 issue of Nature, which has a fair write-up on Science in India, would be useful; the CCMB is mentioned in this issue on pp 586, 588, 591 and 598. Some significant facts about the CCMB are given on page 17 onwards at the end of this application. The symposium programme will begin on 19th November 1987 and end with the inaugural function on the 26th November; there will be one day off in between. At present there is no symposium series anywhere which endeavours to discuss in depth what the frontiers are likely to be in biology in the foreseeable future; what the present status of information in regard to these frontiers is; what new information would need to be obtained, or new techniques developed, for these frontiers to be opened rapidly in the future; and what may be the possible approaches towards accomplishing this end. The objective of this symposium would be to bring together leaders in those areas where development is likely in the coming years in biology, and in related areas, from the international scientific community. The symposium would thus be trans-disciplinary, and the emphasis would be more on discussion of concepts than on facts alone. It is hoped that this symposium if successful, will be held regularly in the future.